Nigeria’s Kayinsola Ajayi has advanced to the semi-finals of the men’s 100m at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, clocking an impressive 9.88 seconds in his heat.
The 20-year-old finished second behind South Africa’s Gift Leotlel, who won in 9.87 seconds. Ajayi’s time, recorded at a wind speed of +0.3, is his first under-10 seconds this season and ranks as the 9th fastest in the world in 2025.
He will now face stiff competition from defending champion Noah Lyles, Jamaica’s rising star Kishane Thompson, and Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, all of whom breezed through their heats. Lyles clocked 9.95s to edge Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake (10.07s).
The 100m semi-finals are scheduled for Sunday at 11:45 GMT, with the final to follow at 13:20 GMT in Tokyo.
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